September 24, 2025
When Dr. Simon Ittig founded T3 Pharma, he carried a bold vision: to engineer live bacteria as precise delivery systems for cancer treatments. What began in academia has since grown into a pioneering biotech story with major milestones, international recognition, and a CHF 450m acquisition by Boehringer Ingelheim.
Here’s how T3 Pharma turned an idea into global impact.
T3 Pharma’s platform is unlike standard immuno-oncology therapies. It uses living bacteria that both persist and grow, but are genetically engineered to maintain safety and stability throughout. These bacteria are programmed to carry therapeutic payloads directly into tumor cells, offering a new frontier in precision treatments.
As T3 Pharma progressed towards clinical phases, entirely new challenges relating to regulatory affairs, manufacturing scale and clinical trial design emerged. Being embedded among peer founders and biotech neighbors proved invaluable; these connections shared expertise, opened doors, and often helped with practical problems (from specialized equipment to advice on patent agents).
When the acquisition discussions with Boehringer Ingelheim began, T3 Pharma was ready – not just with compelling science, but with operational scale, institutional rigor and a clear vision. Post-acquisition, they could accelerate R&D while maintaining what made them unique.
When growth accelerated, physical space became a key factor:
What makes the Main Campus more than just real estate is the day-to-day culture: walking down the hall to borrow a buffer, swapping notes with another start-up about regulatory strategy, or simply grabbing a coffee while discussing recent IP challenges.
These informal interactions frequently unlock solutions faster than formal processes. They cultivate confidence, reduce friction, and maintain momentum through inevitable uncertainties.
When Boehringer Ingelheim invested CHF 450m to acquire T3 Pharma, it wasn’t just a financial milestone. It was validation of a model: that a university spin-out, nurtured in a strong ecosystem, can achieve clinical scale, real therapeutic promise and global relevance. Under the new umbrella, T3 Pharma has kept its identity (and innovative spirit) while gaining the resources and support to push its live-bacteria-based therapy platform toward patients faster.
Because of our rapid growth, we were glad to move into fully furnished labs much faster, which allowed us to start manufacturing and continue growing seamlessly. The campus made it possible to have both custom-built space and immediate access to ready-to-use labs, ensuring smooth expansion.
Dr. Simon Ittig, CEO of T3 Pharma and Main Campus resident
T3 Pharma’s journey underscores why the Basel Area (and Main Campus in particular) is becoming a global hub for next-generation biotech:
T3 Pharma is living proof that when space, community, capital and science align, the leap from startup to global impact doesn’t take decades – it can happen in a few determined years.
